Tech bowl sales on par with NOLA, Dallas

In this 2014 file photo, Louisiana Techmarching band member plays during the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Heart of Dallas Bowl at Cotton Bowl Stadium.(Photo: Tim Heitman, Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports)

Part of Louisiana Tech's attraction to Armed Forces Bowl executives was a nearby traveling fan base and a large alumni base in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Tech brought thousands of fans for its first bowl trip to DFW in 2014, and the hope is to repeat that in 2016 for the Armed Forces Bowl later this month against Navy.

Through the first business week, ticket sales at Tech are on par with the last two bowl games in New Orleans and Dallas, and Tech officials are expecting a solid turnout for the Dec. 23 game on the campus of TCU in Fort Worth, Texas.

"Sales are comparable to the last couple of bowl games, as expected," said Marco Born, Tech's associate athletic director for external affairs. "Two weeks to go. We're pushing it hard."

Tech started the week with a strong push from both Louisiana Tech Athletic Club members, season ticket holders and students. On Monday morning, students lined up at 7 a.m., an hour before the Thomas Assembly Center opened, to claim 100 free tickets. The tickets, donated by CSRA, were gone by 9:30 a.m.

Born said Tech's allotment of tickets is around 8,500. As of Friday afternoon, around 30 to 40 percent had been sold. Tech sold approximately 6,000 tickets to the Heart of Dallas Bowl in 2014.

This week's focus centered around LTAC members and season ticket holders. The priority deadline for LTAC members was 5 p.m. Friday. Tech will assign tickets Saturday before transitioning to first come, first serve.

Then the attention turns to following up with fans who may be on the fence about coming. For those who can't make it, Tech's pitch is to ask if they would be willing to donate tickets that would be distributed by the bowl.

Tech's allotment includes five different prices points — $75 and $60 for lower bowl; $50 for upper deck; $30 for general admission and $20 discounted student tickets. Tech is still filling the lower bowl seats and hopes to have around 500 students like it did in 2014 in Dallas.

"I want to make sure we have our lower bowl full and then have some seats in the upper deck," Born said. "Similar to what we did in Dallas is a very attainable goal to fill that side behind us with folks. By the time you put the band in there with player parents, you'll fill that up pretty quick."

Born estimated Tech's allotment includes around 3,000 to 3,500 seats in the lower bowl. He noted two middle sections of Tech's sideline weren't included in the allotment, which is common practice for bowl games. Those seats are sold locally by the Armed Forces Bowl.

Additionally, Born said it's hard for Tech to tell how many buy locally from the bowl. Tech fans are encouraged to purchase through the school so it gets credit for the allotment. Born said some fans bought directly from the New Orleans Bowl for last year's game.

Kickoff for the Armed Forces Bowl is at 3:30 p.m. on a Friday, which will allow commuters to drive in the day of.

Last year, Tech benefited from the game being played a week before Christmas. In 2014, the Heart of Dallas Bowl came the morning after Christmas.

Born doesn't anticipate the date having much of an effect on attendance.

"We have such a big alumni base in Dallas, I don't think it matters. Most active alumni base outside of the state. They're coming regardless of date," he said. "It's a better date, but I'm not sure it will make that much of difference two days before or two days after Christmas.''